Sasha is just about 4 months old. She came in with some littermates, went into foster care, and when she was old enough, went up for adoption at the shelter. A very nice lady adopted her and had great hopes that Sasha would be a companion for many years to come. But, unfortunately, it didn't work out. What could go wrong with such a young pup, you ask? Plenty.Sasha is not just any pup. She is a handful!! With loads of personality and 'joie de vivre' for days, it would be hard for anyone to keep up with Sasha. And on top of all that energy, Sasha seems to think it's o.k. to grab everything, including human clothes and body parts, with her sharp little puppy teeth. Ouch! You could barely touch this pup without getting caught in her canines. So what were we to do with Sasha?
The adopter had tried hard to make it work. She enrolled in training classes and hired experienced canine behavior consultant, Pam Wasson, for advice. But after giving it a good try, it became apparent that Sasha and she were not meant for each other.
When I learned that Sasha's adoption wasn't going to last, I was worried. I had spoken with Pam and knew that Sasha was a challenging puppy whose behavior might get worse if she moved back to the shelter. We take good care of our animals, but we can't provide them with the type of training and behavior modification that would be required to make Sasha into a good candidate for a successful adoption. Sasha needed an intervention if she was going to turn around, and she needed it NOW.
Lucky for us, and really lucky for Sasha, Pam is a volunteer in our foster program. For purposes of this story, we could call Pam, "Sasha's BFF." Pam agreed to move Sasha home with her. I was relieved! If anyone could convince Sasha that life is better when you behave yourself (and keep your teeth to yourself), it would be Pam.
Pam quickly learned a few more things about Sasha. Sasha sure was a bit of a "bossy pants." And Sasha barked for everything. And, there was that mouthiness and those teeth! But right away it became apparent that Sasha was much easier to train and manage when she had had a big long walk with Pam's dog Bruno. It's always nice to learn that a dog like Sasha is actually capable of settling down and functioning at a more relaxed level . . . it gives you a glimmer of hope. Pam also quickly realized that Sasha is a quick learner who enjoys human interaction and training. She was already house trained (many thanks to her first adopter) and retrieved like a pro! Obviously, Sasha had some really good traits and Pam became highly motivated to address her negatives so that she could go back up for adoption.
Pam and Sasha had their ups and downs. I'd talk to Pam in the morning and she'd tell me what a "good girl" Sasha is. Then we'd talk again in the evening, and she'd say, "Let me tell you what that bad puppy did today!" But progress was being made, and after Sasha had lived with Pam for about a week, Pam started bringing her to the shelter, hoping that she would meet a new family for Sasha. On Wednesday of this week, Sasha started residing at the shelter full time. We set up camp for her behind the front desk. Pam provided explicit instructions for the staff on how to handle Sasha to discourage her mouthiness and encourage good behavior. Everytime I walked by the front desk, someone was working Sasha on her "sits" and "downs," or she was napping! By this afternoon, we were all impressed with Sasha's progress.
By the end of the week we had really great news: Tomorrow Sasha is going to her new home!! She is being adopted by a couple that came to visit her several times at the shelter and discussed Sasha's needs at length with Pam. Pam will have one last meeting with Sasha and her new adopters after they take Sasha home. We couldn't be happier for Sasha and from what I've heard, Sasha's new "parents" are pretty happy too.
Sasha was more difficult than your average pup. She required extra compassion, extra time, extra effort, and extra patience on the part of many staff members and, most of all, her BFF, Pam. Like most of us, Pam works long days and get exhausted. But Pam is an inspiration and I'm grateful to have her as a friend and colleague. I'm grateful to Pam for her energy, her intelligence and insight, and her endless generosity when it comes to helping animals, the people that love them, and our organization. I know what Pam will say when she reads this last paragraph. She'll say, "Yeah, it was exhausting . . . but it was totally worth it."
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